All Work and No Play (Makes Arthur a Horny Boy)
by longlivetheprat
Summary: Arthur doesn't think he can survive another minute of this boring business meeting, but then Merlin arrives and suddenly he can't make it last long enough. And he's not just talking about the meeting.


Arthur's not quite sure how (or when) this dinner is going to end but he thinks that it will likely lead to his being arrested and he's sure his father won't exactly take well to that. Though his father might be more furious about the murder two of his largest clients, which is what Arthur is itching to commit right now and which will eventually lead to the whole getting arrested thing. There are a lot of witnesses in this restaurant, he thinks, glancing around the elegantly furnished room while Client A prattles on about budgets and shortages. There's no way a double murder would go unnoticed.

He frowns when he hears his name and turns to address the client – Edward? Edwin? "What was that, Sir?" he asks politely with an apologetic smile while eyeing the butter knife and wondering if it's sharp enough to break skin.

"I was simply proposing that we shift the deadline forward by a week while taking into consideration the depleting costs of _blah blah blah_." Arthur tunes him out.

He isn't usually like this. He's usually a good little robot, doing everything his father asks of him, putting all of his focus into whatever business proposition he is drafting at the moment. He's the star employee at _Pendragon Auto Parts, _and even though his father has never shown signs of acknowledging it, Arthur knows he knows it. Assigning Arthur to this transaction, in fact, is the most he's ever done to show his pride in his son. Arthur knows how important this is, and he by no means intends to mess it up.

But honestly, he would much rather have conducted this by email. It was only because of his father's insistence (read: _demands_) that Arthur grudgingly invited Clients A, B, and C to dinner in order to sort out the deal.

Except… now that he thinks about it, where's Client C? Arthur glances around the table and sees only The Prattler and Mr. Scary Asian; Dr. Gaius isn't there.

Dr. Gaius is the only one Arthur was looking forward to meeting tonight. He's known the old physician since Arthur was a baby, and Gaius knew his father even before then. He knew Arthur's mother too, and if he's being honest with himself, that's a large part of why Arthur doesn't mind the old man's company. Gaius was the one who'd whispered stories about Arthur's mum into Little Arthur's ear when Uther was being stubborn. Gaius was his only link to the mother he never knew – something that his father had never been.

His father had been the one to help Gaius get started in business in the first place. Gaius used to be the Pendragon family doctor, but when Ygraine died, Uther didn't want to associate with anything that reminded him of her (Arthur notwithstanding, though sometimes he thinks that maybe his presence hurts his father as well).Gaius was given a hefty paycheck and a dismissal, and that's how _Dr. Gaius's Apothecary_ came to be. Uther quickly realized, after Gaius's business gained renown, that it would be wise of him to uphold at least some semblance of contact, no matter how stilted, and so Gaius became a part of Arthur's childhood. Gaius is now their leading supplier of chemicals, everything from polyols to isocyanates, and they can't afford to lose his partnership.

Except where is he now? Arthur glances at his watch; it's forty minutes after they were meant to meet. Arthur has never known Gaius to be anything less than punctual. He's just wondering if something has happened and has already got Gaius's number halfway typed into his phone when he hears quickly approaching footsteps and a gasped, "Sorry I'm late."

Arthur looks up at a harried-looking young man, can't be more than twenty, with a shock of dark hair, pale skin, and a suit that is at least two sizes too big.

"I'm so sorry," the man apologizes again. "There was a bit of an accident with isopropyl alcohol and then I got stuck in traffic on the way and-"

Arthur clears his throat. "I'm sorry, who are you?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

The man flushes. "Oh, right. Sorry. Um, I'm Merlin." Arthur's other eyebrow goes up at that. "Dr. Gaius sent me. He's been dispatched elsewhere and has asked me to give you his apologies."

"Oh," Arthur says. "Right."

There's a silence, and then Merlin says awkwardly, "I'll be, um, sitting in for him tonight. He gave me his proposal." Merlin fumbles in the briefcase slung over his shoulder for a moment before extracting a sheaf of papers, which he hands to Arthur. "You are Arthur Pendragon, right?" Merlin asks belatedly.

Arthur only just restrains himself from rolling his eyes in response and simply takes the papers and scans them. The proposal seems workable, he decides. "All right, have a seat Merlin."

Merlin gratefully obliges, nearly knocking over the chair in his haste. Arthur covers his amused snort with a cough, and Merlin flushes again.

"Would you like to order something?" Arthur asks, passing him a menu and signaling a waiter. Merlin seems lost as he stares at the tri-folded menu, and he disappears behind it for a long moment before giving Arthur a desperate look.

Arthur turns to the waiter. "Il aura la penne au piment d'espelette s'il vous plait," he says, hoping Merlin likes pasta. The waiter nods and takes the menu, and when Arthur can see Merlin's face again, he sees on it an expression of awe.

"You speak French," Merlin breathes.

"Yes, of course," Arthur says briskly. "Let's get on with the proposal. I have heard from Mr. Muirden and Mr. Yamamoto about their conditions," Arthur says smoothly, and he has no idea how those names came into his head but he sees Clients A and B nodding so he must have said something right. "Now tell us what Dr. Gaius has to offer."

"It's all in the papers," Merlin protests, but Arthur leans forward and says, "I want to hear it from you," and Merlin nods and begins.

When he does, he doesn't stop. Arthur is surprised by Merlin's knowledge of chemicals and their uses, and he's impressed by the way he states his point with conviction, as if he knows he's going to win in the end. Arthur concedes to most of his points, but when he does strike up an opposition towards something, Merlin counters him so smoothly and convincingly that Arthur usually gives in. Except when Arthur _does _win, the look of respect in Merlin's eyes makes something in his chest swell. He's never sparred with anyone so thoroughly, never imagined this verbal repartee would be so _exhilarating_. His heart is pumping hard through it all, and by the time they reach an agreement, he's painfully, embarrassingly hard.

It's not just the arguing, he knows. It's the way Merlin's blue, blue eyes twinkle when he's roused (and, Arthur imagines, _a_roused, but he tries not to think about that) and the way his ridiculous ears turn red all the way to the tips when Merlin leans forward to make his argument, and Arthur finds himself wanting to nibble on them to see if they'll turn even redder. He also wants to know if his cheekbones are as sharp as they look, all while working on further rumpling his mop of black hair.

Arthur knows he's gay. He's always known, ever since elementary school when all the girls asked him who he liked and he pointed at Dylan Myers, the shy new kid with adorable dimples. He's had tons of boyfriends and flings and one-night stands, but he can't remember ever being this aroused in his life.

"Excuse me a moment," Arthur says, strangled, and turns a bit red when he realizes everyone's been staring at him, waiting for him to say something. "I've just got to use the loo."

He barely stops himself from running, but with the way he ends up walking he may as well not have tried. He flings the door open and stumbles into a stall, throwing the lock behind him and collapsing into the wall. His belt is open and he's fumbling himself out of his pants before he knows it. He sighs in relief when his hand wraps around his cock, finally, and begins to pull. He thumbs the head and imagines its Merlin's tongue instead, gliding over the slit. The pleasure this image induces draws an uncontrolled moan from his throat, and he quickly stuffs his knuckles into his mouth, biting hard. He continues to stroke himself with his right hand, and he's so close already, and then he hears the bathroom door open and freezes in place.

There are footsteps padding across the floor, frantic yet hesitant, and those too-long pant legs look familiar, somehow, as they make their way to the stall beside his. There's the sound of a zipper being drawn, a breath being let out, and then – oh God, Arthur forgets to breathe because then there's a moan, short but pleasure-filled, before it's quickly stifled and all he can hear for a long moment is the rustling of fabric. Arthur lets out his breath, slowly, heart pounding. His hand on his cock resumes its strokes, deliberately, slowly at first, and he thinks he's never going to come like this, he needs more, harder. He listens closely, but he doesn't hear anything from the other stall, and he strokes himself a little harder, a little faster. He lets out an open-mouthed gasp, and realizes too late that his left hand has dropped from his mouth and the sound echoes loudly through the room.

"Who is it?" the man in the other stall asks, hoarsely. Arthur thinks he recognizes the voice but he's not sure, and he pushes the thought aside before answering with a drawn-out moan. There is silence for a moment, save for Arthur's heavy breathing, and then – yes, there is the distinct sound of skin on skin, and holy hell Arthur is wanking off with a stranger. He is having a mutual wank with someone he doesn't know while thinking about someone else he left waiting at a table mere yards away. This is so screwed up, and Arthur groans out, "Yes, God yes," as his movements grow faster, his hand squeezing as it slides over his length, mimicking the way Merlin's arse must feel clenched around his. "Fuck!"

"I'm- I'm so close," Arthur hears from the other stall, and his movements become frantic now, uninhibited as he strives for that peak that he can feel closing in on him like a vice. He gathers the pre-come from the head and swipes it over his cock, once, twice, and then he's coming, barely restraining himself from screaming out Merlin's name, but screaming nonetheless.

A similar cry comes from beside him, nearly at the same time, and he listens to the other man gasp out his release while Arthur still shudders through the aftershocks. He feels the man collapse against the other side of Arthur's wall, and suddenly they're back-to-back, breathing hard, only a thin wall separating them.

Eventually, Arthur comes down from his orgasm, and there's nothing left now except embarrassment as he tucks his flaccid cock back into his pants and pulls up his trousers.

"Um," Arthur says once he's wiped his hand on several paper towels and tossed them into the loo. He jumps when the toilet automatically flushes, and then wonders if he should make a run for it before the sound subsides. But then it's over and there's only embarrassment again, thick and palpable between the two of them.

The other man speaks then, thankfully, because Arthur thinks he might lose it if one of them doesn't break the tension. "I'll leave first," the man says, voice normal now. "You can follow after I'm gone."

Arthur nods, and then realizes the man can't see it and voices his agreement. He really doesn't want to see the man because he just knows it's going to be awkward, mostly because he's been thinking about another man the entire time.

Arthur hears the lock grind open, and then the creak of the stall door before footsteps make their way back across. The tap turns on just as Arthur thinks, wait, I really do recognize those pants, and that voice is definitely familiar, and then his eyes go wide but he can't get too excited because he's not sure so he just opens the door, ignoring the startled sound form the other man, and steps out to a face-full of Merlin, hands dripping with water, and Arthur imagines them dripping with come the way they must have been just moments ago.

Merlin staggers back a few steps. "Arthur, I-" he begins, but really, that's enough talking, and Arthur cuts him off with a long, slow kiss, burying his hands in Merlin's hair to keep him in place, to keep him from running. Except Merlin doesn't seem like he's going to run. In fact, after the initial shock, he's melting against Arthur, pulling him closer by his collar, and there's a hand sliding around his neck and stroking, just so, and Arthur moans into Merlin's mouth.

They draw apart and Arthur whispers, "I knew it," before diving back in for more. When they next pull apart, Merlin tucks his head into the crook of Arthur's shoulder and just breathes, and Arthur marvels at how intimate this all feels when they just wanked off together moments ago. Arthur doesn't know what to say, but he's Arthur so he has to say something, has to take charge because his control is quickly slipping from his fingers, and he blurts out, "That was the best orgasm of my life," before mentally slapping himself because _really_, that was the best he could come up with?

Merlin shrugs and lifts his head. "I've had better," he says, but there's a grin poking up his cheeks that says otherwise.

Arthur mock-scowls, trying (and failing) to cover his own smile. "That's because you didn't have me touching you," he says matter-of-factly. "Next time I'll make you come so hard you'll black out."

By the time he realizes what he's said, the other man's eyes are going wide. "Next time?" Merlin squeaks.

"I mean, if you want, that is. You don't have to… I… You know what, never mind." Arthur tries to extricate himself from Merlin, slapping himself internally for being so stupid, because he really should have known this would just be a one-off, because Merlin was the one who had suggested leaving separately. But then Merlin's hand closes around his wrist and pulls him back into a kiss that has Arthur completely confused and also a bit aroused.

Merlin smiles when he releases Arthur and says, "I'd like that." And Arthur's heart flutters in his chest and there's this uncontrollable smile spreading across his face, and _God_, Arthur is so whipped, and also, aren't they supposed to be having a meeting right now?

Merlin apparently has the same thought (at least the last bit) because he steps back a little and clears his throat and says those words that Arthur doesn't want to hear: "We should go; they're probably beginning to wonder."

Arthur wants to say _sod them_, because suddenly the whole murder idea doesn't seem so bad if it means he gets to spend more time with Merlin, but he still has a duty to fulfill and so does Merlin. He nods, sadly, and gestures for Merlin to leave first, but Merlin shakes his head and pushes him towards the door instead.

Arthur leaves while surreptitiously smoothing himself down to get rid of that just-shagged look, except he doesn't think he quite manages it because when he gets back to the table, Prattler and Scary Asian both give him The Eyebrow, and he thinks it might have something to do with the smile that refuses to leave his face and also the way he basically gawps at Merlin when he emerges minutes later, looking cool as can be. But even though Arthur knows he should be embarrassed right now, and that this is probably going to be reported to his father later, he can't quite bring himself to care.

An hour later, when the restaurant staff starts giving them looks and most everyone else in the room has cleared out, Arthur is signing his last contract. "And that is finished," he says with a flourish, lifting his pen neatly and handing the document to Mr. Yamamoto, who bows deeply and mumbles something in Japanese before taking his leave. Arthur turns to Mr. Muirden, then, and shakes his hand firmly. Mr. Muirden nods and glances between Merlin and Arthur pointedly for a moment before taking off as well, a slight smirk on his face.

Arthur watches him walk away, only because he can't bring himself to look at Merlin just yet, can't bear to say goodbye, but eventually he closes his eyes with a sigh and when he opens them he's looking into Merlin's face. Arthur awkwardly holds out his hand, which Merlin shakes soundly. Merlin looks amused, for some reason, and Arthur is confused until he feels something rough being pressed into his palm. Arthur's eyes widen minutely, and Merlin just smiles.

"It was _very_ nice doing business with you, Mr. Pendragon," Merlin says, and is Arthur imagining that husky tone in his voice? Then Merlin is gone, slipping out of the restaurant and out of sight.

Arthur stands there a moment, tucking the thing in his palm, which turns out to be a folded up slip of paper, into his pocket to be examined later. Slowly, he scrapes his belongings from the table and makes his way out the door, nodding to the doorman, who lets the door shut behind him with a slam. The valet hands Arthur his keys with a bow, and Arthur waves him off. He slips into his car and sits there a minute, not moving just yet, because he's realized something: he'd forgotten to get Merlin's phone number. God, _now_ how is he going to meet him again, because Merlin had said he wanted to, only Arthur was just so _stupid-_

Something pokes him in the arse as he shifts in his seat, and he remembers: the paper! Arthur shoves his hand into his pocket and fishes out the note. He unfolds it with shaking fingers, nearly dropping it twice, finally managing to get it open only to realize he can't read it. Cursing, he feels above him for the light and flicks it on. He scans the note quickly and then sinks back into his seat, letting out the breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.

And then he laughs.

And laughs.

And oh God, he can't _breathe_ because right there, on the paper, penned in Merlin's inelegant scrawl, is most definitely a phone number. And as if that wasn't invitation enough, below that are the words:

_I'm holding you to that orgasm._


End file.
